The Tempest: Context (AQA GCSE English Literature): Revision Notes

Historical Background: The Tempest was written around 1610-1611, during a period of European exploration and colonisation. The play reflects contemporary issues of power, control, and the encounters between European colonisers and indigenous peoples, as seen in the relationship between Prospero and Caliban.

Shakespeare's England: The play resonates with concerns of authority and justice in early 17th-century England, under King James I. Questions about leadership, control, and the exercise of power were significant in this period, paralleling Prospero's control over the island and its inhabitants.

Colonisation: The play explores themes of colonisation, particularly through Prospero's domination of the island and its native inhabitant, Caliban. This relationship can be seen as a reflexion of the European colonisation of new lands and the complex dynamics between colonisers and the colonised.

Magic and the Supernatural: Shakespeare's audience was fascinated by the supernatural, and The Tempest taps into this interest with its portrayal of magic. Prospero's use of magic symbolises control and power, but his decision to give it up at the end of the play reflects themes of forgiveness and reconciliation.